Prague Castle

Prague Castle stretches across the ridge above Malá Strana as a sequence of courtyards, churches, palaces and defensive buildings. The complex was founded around 880 by Prince Bořivoj. It became the seat of Bohemian rulers and, under Charles IV in the fourteenth century, an imperial residence. Since the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, it has again served as the seat of the head of state.

St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane occupy separate parts of the complex. The grounds are free and open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Paid interiors follow seasonal hours, and the gardens close or shorten their schedule in winter.